the only GSM providers in canada are rogers and fido...so those are really the only two options at the moment. i guess it's possible that apple could release a CDMA version of the iphone...but it would complicate production and increase costs for them and only be useful in north america (where cell phone penetration is far less advanced compared to europe and asia). so...what i'm saying is that a telus branded iphone is not outside the realm of possibility, but not soon, and possibly never.
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AT&T/Cingular to Give Away 18 Months of iPhone Service?
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the only GSM providers in canada are rogers and fido...so those are really the only two options at the moment. i guess it's possible that apple could release a CDMA version of the iphone...but it would complicate production and increase costs for them and only be useful in north america (where cell phone penetration is far less advanced compared to europe and asia). so...what i'm saying is that a telus branded iphone is not outside the realm of possibility, but not soon, and possibly never.
Sure, everyone wants cheaper or free iPods (or anything).
What this thread (or rumour) does is not pandering to that. It's saying that when Palm says "our device costs $400 + $40/mth for (whatever service level)", Apple MAY be saying "our iPhone costs $500 + $30/mth for (same service level as Palm)".
This is not about whether it's free, cheap, or magic. This is about whether Apple's up-front price and Palms and Nokias are directly comparable since they use the same ongoing plans.
edit:
Lets face it.. many people (myself included) are not going to pay $599 and go onto an expensive contract if they could get a top end LG/Nokia/whatever and spend
a) $599 and go onto a great/cheap contract, or
b) $250 and go onto an expensive contract
We just don't know what the contract component costs are with the iPhone, yet.
Holy Crap...if that true I'd be SO happy.
Or a low price deal for Umlimited Internet, Texting and Calls
Or a low price deal for Umlimited Internet, Texting and Calls
Here's my point, you will pay for your service and you will pay for your hardware, even if it's spread out. Apple hardware costs more, we know this.
If this is true, I would accept such an offer right before its window ends as I am currently in a contract with Verizon that won't end until Spring 2008 and would prefer to have free or reduced fee service as long as I can get it past my contract with Verizon.
Sounds like a great way to get us to switch. I know it would get me to. Now how are we going to keep those iPhone screens from getting significantly scratched soon after we start using them?
People are going to sell special iPhone (ATN) t-shirts (formerly cigarette or cell phone or iPod t-shirts).
Rocketman
Got your point. No problem. Never disagreed. Just wondering whether the overall spread of cost will be any more than the Palms overall.
Mostly true, and I'm pleased the difference is dropping. Apparently the MacPros are quite a bit cheaper than comparable machines - other than that you're probably right.
I did, It is vague. BUT Apple typically targets a 30% markup and the iPhone (ATN) has a 50% markup. That 20% of retail is the service offset. It is hard to tell now if the "free ride" is 18 months or not, but even if it is for a year of a 2 year contract and there is an "upcharge option" for special services, it will be far more competitive than existing Cingular or AT&T offerings. I have used both brands when they were discreet and they are not the "low cost suppliers".
Then neither is Apple.
As for Cramer, he has contacts and is sufficiently accurate most of the time I would take what he says as about 80% gospel.
Keep in mind Apple has already stated there will be other devices besides the ATN. There will be an ATNN (true tablet) and yet another device, probably an ATN with limited service fees (wifi, wimax, simplephone).
Rocketman
well i was thinking this phone is damned expensive....
but now with this news, it may become more affordable. ie with a plan which reduces usage costs.
We may become very happy very soon. ie with 40-50 credit a month for a full year towards heavily discounted service... i would be happy.
I just hope that AT&T (Cingular) doesnt expect a one size fits all service plan. ie we may be able to arrange other plans than the basic one at a discount.
but now with this news, it may become more affordable. ie with a plan which reduces usage costs.
We may become very happy very soon. ie with 40-50 credit a month for a full year towards heavily discounted service... i would be happy.
I just hope that AT&T (Cingular) doesnt expect a one size fits all service plan. ie we may be able to arrange other plans than the basic one at a discount.
Sorry if I seem argumentative, I am just frustrated with service providers in the US ( internet, cable tv, cell phone) and always feel I'm in a strangle hold. I hope the iphone service package is a revolution in this market, I'm just setting myself up for the disappointment in advance I guess.
It's Rogers, they would never do that, possibly 50% off certain services for a few months, but not full bills for a year and half. I heard that Rogers is planning a 50% off campaign soon.
However, we will start seeing some changes with the Canadian cellphone industry starting next week because that's when all the major carriers are prepping up their plans to attempt to get people to switch to their carrier since porting of phone numbers will be made legal (for most carriers) as of late March.
The only way that Telus or Bell would EVER be able to even dream of getting the iPhone is if they changed their complete network infrastructure to GSM over night, which wouldn't happen, so it's going to be with Rogers. It obviously won't be with Rogers' Fido division since Rogers is Rogers.
Sooo . . .
Since this is an Apple / AT&T / Rogers long term contract . . .
I wonder how many Apple x-serves are being deployed in their network hubs and cell towers? I wonder if Apple is helping with Edge 2.0 HARDWARE deployments in their effort to enter the enterprise market starting with the "back room"?
Hmmmm?
I posted it first.
Rocketman
Since this is an Apple / AT&T / Rogers long term contract . . .
I wonder how many Apple x-serves are being deployed in their network hubs and cell towers? I wonder if Apple is helping with Edge 2.0 HARDWARE deployments in their effort to enter the enterprise market starting with the "back room"?
Hmmmm?
I posted it first.
Rocketman
Telus Mobility = CDMA mobile phone technology
iPhone = GSM
CDMA and GSM are incompatible and competing technologies. Telus will NOT be getting the iPhone, and Apple isn't going to produce a different version of the iPhone for a market as tiny as ours.
Cingular rep says this is not true:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphon...come-with-15-years-of-free-service-231636.php
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphon...come-with-15-years-of-free-service-231636.php
The thing is.. if the people at that website just called some Customer Service rep over the phone, they might have close to no information over that sort of stuff, I worked as a Customer Service Rep for another American carrier for half a year, we were literally given info about new services/products the day they are released, I say take it with a grain of salt, but then again 18 months of free service is pretty fishy, but for a 2 year contract with nothing subsidized/free seems not worth it to the regular Joe, they want a FREE phone or SOMETHING for free.
So, it's sounds like the rep confirmed the iPhone would have a Cingular rate plan - how does this refute the rumor that 18 months of the plan will be free?
It certainly seems logical that they would have a specific rate plan(s) for the iPhone - and that it would probably be less than the traditional offerings as they are not subsidizing the cost of the iPhone. My bet is that they would have a few offerings - all of them voice/text/data bundles at different included minutes/messages/data amounts.
However, 18 months of free service was an entirely different rumor that spun off of Cramer's opinion - and I would be surprised if the discount was that big.
It certainly seems logical that they would have a specific rate plan(s) for the iPhone - and that it would probably be less than the traditional offerings as they are not subsidizing the cost of the iPhone. My bet is that they would have a few offerings - all of them voice/text/data bundles at different included minutes/messages/data amounts.
However, 18 months of free service was an entirely different rumor that spun off of Cramer's opinion - and I would be surprised if the discount was that big.